For Even the most lowly trimmed models in the Golf range look pretty well equipped, with air-conditioning, electric front windows and the full safety kit. This model averages almost 50mpg, and gives sparky performance.
Against S trim misses some kit that you might want, like alloy wheels and electric rear windows.
A cracking engine with good refinement, impressive flexibility and low running costs. If only it were available in our favourite Match trim.
The Golf is all the car most families will ever need. There are rivals with more prestigious badges, larger cabins, punchier engines or lower prices, but if we had to pick one model to cope with everything a family is likely to ask of a car, it would be a Golf.
Yes, it couldn't look more conservative if it wore a blue rosette, but buyers still love it. It’s class-leading in many areas, and there isn’t a thing that it does badly.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t big discounts to be had, though. Haggle hard, and you’ll get four figures off almost any version, and because the Golf’s residual values are so strong, you’ll get plenty of money back at resale time.
We’d avoid the smallest petrol engine because it’s a bit weak, but all the rest make a strong case for themselves. Our favourite is the 1.4TSI petrol, which is our reigning Small Family Car of the Year,. The Bluemotion model, meanwhile, is our Green Small Family Car of the Year.
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